Supreme Court comes to the rescue of Wazahat Khan, who had insulted Hindu Gods and filed FIR against Sarmishta Panoli for ‘insulting’ Islam
On Monday (23rd June), the Supreme Court of India came to the rescue of Wazahat Khan, accused of making derogatory remarks about Hindu deities. He is also the complainant in the Sharmishta Panoli case, which led to her arrest from Gurugram and subsequent judicial custody.
The apex court, in an act of leniency, stayed the arrest of Wazahat Khan in cases that are registered against him outside the State of West Bengal. The interim order was passed by a 2-Judge Bench of Justices KV Viswanathan and N Kotiswar Singh.
The Supreme Court also ruled that no coercive action should be taken against Khan until 14th July. “Having considered the prayer, we are inclined to grant the same,” the Bench stated.
It also issued notice the accused to the Centre and the State governments of Assam, Delhi, Haryana and Maharashtra after the accused sought consolidation of all First Information Reports (FIRs) registered across 4 States.
During the hearing, Justice KV Viswanathan stated, “Hate Speeches Get Us Nowhere; Wounds Inflicted By Fire May Heal, But Not Those Caused By Words.”
The counsel of Wazahat Khan, Dama Seshadri Naidu, submitted that the accused is ‘reaping as he has sown’ and stated that he ‘learnt the lesson the hard way.’
The case against Wazahat Khan
On 1st June, social media was abuzz with tweets and posts of Wazahat Khan, wherein he made derogatory, vile and blasphemous posts against Hinduism and its deities.
“Kamakhya Devi temple where Brahmin gets worship from other Hindus of a chopped Vagina. It is very hard to differentiate. Is it blind worship or mental sickness ?? Sick people. Indian hindu worship female vagina for luck,” he had tweeted.
Screengrab of the tweet by Wazahat Khan of Rashidi Foundation
Some of his other tweets include –
- “Ek Hindu apni Saali ko ang ang pe rang lagate hue aur apne dosto ko bhi uske sath aisa karne ko invitation dete hue… cHindus… Yahi hai inki Asliyat… Rapist culture”
- “Nahi wo uski baat kar rha hai jiski 16108 rakhelo ke sath rang rasiya manata tha…Or chupke chupke Ladkiyo ko nahate hue dekhta ta…”
- “I have something for you…read about your religion first. Urine drinkers scums”
- “Tujh jaise Randi pet ki aulad Rasool ke bare me baat kare ye zeb nahi deta be…Tu Iski baat kar, tera krishna kaisa rangeela tha dekh…Sachayi dekh Wahem me mat jee… Jhantu Sale tune jo bhi kaha wo sab toh jhut aur bohta hai lekin ye tere hi kitab ka hai sach padh, Suwar ke pille”
Screengrab of the Twitter posts of Wazahat Khan
In one Instagram comment, the same Muslim radical was seen commenting –
Abe bhosdiwale, Behnchod… Apni behn se jaker sikh tera dharm lawde, Tera dharm jo teri behn kothe me baith kar sikhati hai … Or wahi dharm tere ghar pe aakar sikhati hai, Chudwa kar behnchod… Apni biwi ko tujh jaisa sanghi kam chodta hai dusre ke lye chod deta hai aur apni behn chodta hai… behnchod… Sun be Randi pet ka jana… Mere Abao Ajdaad Convert hue bhi te na toh humein unpar fakr hai…ke ganda dharm shaitano ka puja karne wala, Lingam ka puja karne wala dharm chod kar… Paak saaf Dharm apnaya aur haq dharm apnaya…Fakhr hai unpe…Jaa Tu Lingam puja kar…Lawde
Screengrab of the Instagram comments of Wazahat Khan
Wazahat Khan runs the Kolkata-based Rashidi Foundation, and had taken credit for ensuring the arrest of Sharmishta Panoli (whose Instagram video targeting Pakistan somehow ‘offended’ Indian Muslims).
Despite such overwhelming evidence against the radical Muslim man, aimed at disturbing communal harmony and creating enmity between two religious, he was not initially arrested by West Bengal police.
It was only after social media outrage and FIRs in other States that Khan was arrested by the State police on 9th June this year. He was remanded to police custody till 23rd June.
Despite the grave nature of his comments against Hindu deities, the apex court is showing him leniency. And it is exemplified through directives such as no coercive action, stay on arrest in FIRs outside West Bengal and consideration for clubbing of all cases.
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